Get Down!
by Doretta78
Summary: Just another pov


Standard disclaimer: None of the characters are mine…yada yada…..no copyright issues….just enjoy!  
Written by: Doretta78  
  
Get Down!  
  
"God, this has been a long day," Claire sighed as she got up off the stool and rolled Darien's shirt sleeve down.  
  
"Tell me about it," he replied as he sat up in the chair. Rubbing the back of his neck, he rolled his shoulders and listened to the popping.   
  
"That's real pleasant," smirked Hobbes from his position on the desk against the wall.  
  
"You know, Hobbes, I've had about enough of you for today," Darien stated as he swung his legs over the edge of the chair. "And you know what…?" He stared at his partner as he entwined his fingers together, stretched his arms outward, and popped all his knuckles.  
  
Hobbes tried to hide the cringe as goosebumps flew up his arms. "Oh, yeah?" he smirked as he shot up off the desk, striding over to Darien. Looking him straight in the eye, Hobbes reached for his own eyelids and flipped them up.  
  
"Jesus, Hobbes!" Darien yelled as he pushed his friend back and jumped down from the chair. "That's just gross!"  
  
"Good lord!" Claire said with disgust as she turned to face the two agents. "You're both a couple of little boys, aren't you?"  
  
"He started it," Hobbes said sheepishly as he immediately pointed at Darien. His partner just glared.  
  
"Yeah, I'm gonna start something in a second," he warned as he bumped chests with Hobbes.  
  
"Ugh…I'm going home," Claire started as she walked toward the door, shoving the two agents apart as she passed through them. "Till tomorrow boys. Behave."  
  
"Hey, wait a sec Keep…" Hobbes called after her as she reached for her coat. "Look, I'm sorry. Can't speak for my friend her, but I am." He looked back at his partner for backup.  
  
"Yeah, Claire, come on…we're not all that bad."  
  
"Oh, please," she started. "I don't know how you two haven't killed each other yet. Sometimes I feel like such a babysitter!"  
  
"Hey, come on. We'll make it up to you. Come out with us. Get a drink. What do you say?" Darien pleaded with his eyes as she sighed and relaxed her back.   
  
"That does sound tempting…"  
  
"Our treat," Hobbes chimed in.  
  
"Oh, alright."  
  
"Cool. Let's do it," Darien said as he clapped his hands and grabbed Claire's coat from her hands. He swung it over her shoulders as Hobbes slid the door open.   
  
"I'm going to regret this," she said quietly as they left the building.   
  
  
Running through the cloud of smoke that permanently hung outside the bar doors, the three made their way into the dimly lit entrance of the first bar they could find. They paused momentarily as the door shut behind them and they took in the scene.  
  
"Looks nice," Darien started.  
  
"They got BEER!" Hobbes said happily as he headed straight to the taps.   
  
Looking solemnly up at Darien, Claire rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't let my lab rat drink a thing from this place," she said disgusted as she surveyed the room.   
  
"Try to stop me," Darien said smiling, giving her a push toward a table in the corner of the room and shaking his head at her started apology.   
  
"Thank you," Claire said as Darien pulled out a chair for her and tucked her in under the table. She inwardly chuckled as she threw her coat over the back of her chair.  
  
"Three beers coming up!" Hobbes yelled cheerfully as he joined them and plopped three icy steins on the table as he slid into a seat. "Bottoms up!" He raised the glass to his lips but was instantly halted by Darien's hand.  
  
"Uh-uh! Jeez, Hobbes…you gotta do it right!" Darien lifted his glass to the center of the table and motioned for Hobbes to join him. The two agents held their glasses up as Darien spoke. "To the best keeper a guy could have. Good for a needle AND good for a laugh…what more could a guy want?"  
  
"Here, here!" Hobbes chimed in, eager to get to his drink. They two clinked glasses and began guzzling as they peered over the rims of their drinks at Claire.  
  
A small smile was forming at the corners of her mouth. "Who told you?" she asked quietly.  
  
"Wha…?? Can't hear you?" Hobbes said with a straight face as he leaned closer to Claire, cupping his ear.   
  
"Yeah, the music's kinda loud!" Darien yelled toward the other side of the room.  
  
"I said…who told…" she started to repeat but stopped as the two agents sitting across from her lit up with smiles. "What…?" she asked.  
  
They broke into a hearty laugh as the room got quiet behind her. She closed her eyes and readied herself.  
  
"Happy Birthday to you….," came a trio of voices.  
  
"I'm going to kill you…"  
  
"Happy Birthday to you…," joined this time by Darien and Hobbes.  
  
"Both of you…"  
  
"Happy Birthday dear Claaaaaire…."  
  
She opened her eyes to see the entire bar watching her and singing. "Happy Birthday….tooooo…..yoooouuu…."  
  
Everyone erupted into applause as Darien whistled and Hobbes shouted for an encore. She tried to hold her expression of anger for as long as she could but lost it the second the cupcake with the candle in the center was placed in front of her.  
  
"Oh my god," she mouthed as she broke into giggles. The bartender reached into his shirt pocket and grabbed a lighter, setting the little candle ablaze.   
  
"Happy birthday, ma'am," he said. She returned his wish with a smile and a nod. "Round of drinks on the house!" he yelled to the room sending it once more into an uproar of applause and hoots.  
  
"Blow it out, keep," Hobbes goaded her.   
  
"Yeah, and make a wish," Darien quickly added as she pulled her hair back and bent over the candle.  
  
"I wish…" she started.  
  
"To yourself!" Darien yelled. "Come on…you know… or it won't come true."  
  
She smiled as she closed her eyes, made her wish and blew out her birthday candle. Laughing, she looked back up at her friends and smiled. "You two are too much."  
  
"Yeah, well, we try," Darien said as he took another long gulp of his beer.  
  
"Thank you. I mean it."  
  
"No problem," answered Hobbes who downed the last of his drink. "Next round!" he yelled as he pushed his chair back and headed for the bar. "Anything besides beer?"  
  
Both Darien and Claire shook their heads as he headed off. "Ok, so how did you know?" she asked.  
  
"Uh…that's need to know information," Darien replied officially.   
  
"Oh, well, then…that explains that."  
  
"What ever do you mean?" he asked laughing.  
  
"Did you at least give Povlov a treat?"  
  
He didn't answer, just downed the last of his beer as Hobbes made his way back to the table. He handed the glasses out and took a swig.   
  
"We gotta dance," he said as he took Claire's hand from the table. "Come on."  
  
"But Bobby…" she started.  
  
"Uh-uh. No butts…come on."  
  
He pulled her up out of the chair and coaxed her off to the dance floor. He flung her out to arm's length and quickly twirled her back to him, pausing a moment before the music began. "My Shironah" began blaring from the jukebox. The two friends quickly broke into laughter and started to dance.  
  
Darien watched from the table across the room. He pushed his chair onto its back legs and caught his knees under the table, rocking there for a second. "Ah crap!" he cringed as a wad of gum strung out from his knee to the table. "Jeez…" He put the chair back down on the floor and scraped the remains from his jeans.  
  
Laughing, he tossed the sticky napkin onto the table and looked back towards the dance floor where Hobbes and Claire were kicking their heels up. He reached over and took a swipe of frosting from Claire's cupcake and licked it off his finger.   
  
"Yeah, Fawkes…you aint got it so bad," he told himself as he got up to join his friends on the dance floor.  
  



End file.
